The end of the Keir show – politicalbetting.com
The end of the Keir show – politicalbetting.com
Several media organisations such as The Telegraph (here) and The Observer (here) are reporting that Sir Keir Starmer knows his premiership is over and will announce the timetable for his departure.
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Re Starmer, can't believe another PM is going to resign less than 2 years from entering No 10.
He's the greatest leader of the opposition since the end of WWII.
https://www.politicalbetting.com/index.php/archives/2026/05/15/a-reminder-that-sir-keir-starmer-is-the-greatest-leader-of-the-opposition-since-the-end-of-wwii/
I mean we all try and repress her premiership.
First leader of the Labour Party to be forced out against his will since 1935. Quite an achievement, but not in a good way.
https://x.com/BBCPolitics/status/2068370503807422710
Joining #BBCLauraK
Business Secretary Peter Kyle MP
Shadow Chancellor Mel Stride MP
Former Cabinet Secretary Simon Case
Former Downing Street Director of Political Strategy Paul Ovenden
Labour Peer John Hutton
https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=fawlty+towers+the+game+is+up#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:81b12422,vid:dUJD3lXNbNs,st:33.559
He needs to learn from John Major: "When the curtain falls, it's time to get off the stage - and that's what I propose to do"
I think all sensible people can only hope this works for the sake of the country but I am not sure reckless really covers it.
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2025/dec/30/gordon-brown-allies-could-wreck-labour-2005-election-peter-mandelson
Interesting fact. Apparently there are 56 players at this World Cup born in Paris. Presumably many play for Francophone countries other than France.
So in each of the last two parliaments in which Labour had a majority, the PM will have been forced to resign by the party.
I think anyone comparing Blair to Starmer's position is comparing apples to haddock.
That's nice.
And shellfish.. would sous vide scallops, prawns, mussels and oysters work?
Get it over and done with.
He will feel a lot better about himself.
But one of the problems is that others elevated have proved utterly unfit to hold high office. Johnson would have found some way to destroy himself, because he's Johnson. As for Truss, she wasn't fit to serve on the parks and gardens committee of Llanwrtyd Wells Town Council.
Alan Johnson tells @AndrewMarr9 Andy Burnham should call a general election"
https://x.com/JohnRentoul/status/2068038232420311359
I have very little sympathy for him as he is largely the cause of his own misfortune. But I do acknowledge that this is personally devastating for him.
Last interesting thing he did
It’s even more embarrassing for Starmer that he had a ridiculous majority, an improving economy, changes in immigration laws passed by the last government and has still managed to fail completely.
Even if Burnham takes over in the autumn, that's a lot of thinking to do from basically a standing start; the most inexperienced mid-term substitution... ever? Brace, as someone used to say.
Just make some personnel changes, a few eye catching u-turns to set the mood, then take the summer to try to figure out how to pay for ever increasing obligations and choices without cutting anything or big tax rises.
Expect several clever wheezes to squeeze a few billion more from the stone.
I suspect he will but it would be better all round if he did step aside fairly quickly.
If not, he could end up like Heath - a bitter, old queen
A sure sign that water temperature is rising fast
You better not be wrong.
When you're less safe in your job than Chris Philp, Victoria Atkins, Laura Trott and Richard Holden, then you really are at the dihorrea end of the shit scale.
But, if there is not going to be a contest and Burnham is the new leader to be, then Starmer should resign on 22nd July, the day Parliament rises for the summer recess. I say this for the good of the country. Burnham will need time to get his house in order before he has to face Parliament. He will then have time to get his head round the financial situation and the issues with various departments - especially Defence - before he comes back with a programme in the Autumn. He should reshuffle his cabinet as much as he sees necessary as soon as possible and then cancel holidays for his Ministers and get them working on his programme through the summer.
Like I say, I detest him but right now I want him to do well as the country needs proper leadership and a proper, thought out programme for Government.
Oh and he should sack Miliband (although of course he won't)
When pllicks like Hodges say she's begging him to say, they are so far removed from reality.
Reckless implies that there's a better option that is being passed over, but there isn't, really. For whatever reason the Cabinet is incredibly weak. There are no major political divides, because none of them have a clue.
And so, with such a complete lack of leadership they turn in desperation to the one person exhibits some motive force.
There's a kind of club whose fans insist that it's a Sleeping Giant. They bang on incessantly about how they won the league in 1949 and 1950 (ahem), ignoring the detail that that is a lifetime ago. Meanwhile the stadium has become a shabby old wreck, the scouting and training are a joke and so on... but it's still an affront that they're not in the top tier.
From time to time, there's a windfall, but it goes out almost immediately on some star name who flatters to deceive. And the chants are always to sack the manager/board/chariman, because that's easier than admitting that the problems go back to a lack of real investment over decades.
Should we be betting on Kemi's England? Mind you the Dutch looked dangerous earlier.
Not something to prepare at home. I bought a large one at a fish market once. It took me two bloody hours to peel it.
* Except at the moment.
I really don't get why Labour see him as some sort of Messiah. The problem seems to me to be as much with Labour MPs who seem wholly unwilling to think intelligently about what needs doing or make any hard choices and who have indulged themselves with a lot of stupid nonsense. Labour is not a serious party anymore. None of them are, frankly.
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2004/oct/01/uk.labourconference2
The parallels don't end there. Blair went two years into a parliament, as will Starmer. Blair was replaced through a coronation, as in all likelihood will Starmer. Blair when he went was deeply unpopular as a PM. His successor was unusual in being a popular politician when he took over.
CIV are real class. Playing like the Italians of old.
The reason this has happened is
a) Starmer is not a politician and has no idea why this has happened and the whole thing is bewildering to him. He never had a 'story' or narrative to tell the voters. He never had one or two guiding star ideas as to what should be done for Britain.
b) Labour under McSweeney spent so much time eradicating Corbynista and campaigning to win via a 'time for change' strategy that was actually a ming vase walk* that they did not think to actually have a serious plan for governing
c) the problems facing any PM are bordering on insurmountable.
* Contrast with Blair/Brown - ming vase with an actual up their sleeve plan from day one - e.g bank of england.
Has no one else here cooked fish sous vide before?
Am I the first?
Who will be next to douse their fish in really quite warm water?
@JAHeale
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40m
If Keir Starmer does announce his resignation next week then he will be the shortest serving Labour Prime Minister in history
I don't like the Johnsonian self aggrandisement although his reputation at GMC is better than many track records.
He won't have a great deal of work to do in order to better Starmer, Sunak, Truss, Johnson, May and arguably after 2015, Cameron.
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But no one believed it.
2. Go for PR
3. Devolve more authority to local authorities and promote more social housing
4. Bring Thames Water into public ownership
All popular, big, and easy to describe.
Seriously, try it
I’m so excited to test all of the fish I haven’t tried yet, and to eat them all again
Admittedly it falls short of Miliband's free owls for all but that is just a reflection of the straitened times we endure.
Plus at least two councils this week have had the planning roles shifted to Whitehall. I don't see him reversing that
Meanwhile this - https://www.thetimes.com/uk/healthcare/article/nhs-hospital-nottinham-inquiry-baby-deaths-kj99rx3lw - will be familiar to Burnham from his time in Health. What's his plan to deal with these sorts of widespread scandals? A reminder: a Parliamentary Commission recently pointed out that good maternity care was the exception rather than the rule in Britain.
I suspect he will remove the limit of 5% on council tax rises.
The electors of Reform Councils will suffer and so will Reform.
Sky News, ITV, BBC
"Please them ! Please then!"
(sadly this was your life)
But you could have said no
If you'd wanted to
You could have walked away
...Couldn't you?
He'd be better off proposing pretty much any other kind of electoral reform than AV.
About a third of Thames Water's income goes to paying interest on its debt. Incredible.
Remove the debt (because it's bankrupt) and suddenly it's profitable and cash generating.
Its investors will argue that makes it a valuable company and they should receive massive compensation.
But because the company's debts far exceed its assets, existing shareholders cannot "walk away" from the debt while keeping the underlying value of the pipes and treatment plants.
If Thames Water goes bankrupt and enters the government's Special Administration Regime (SAR), its existing equity is legally wiped out and treated as completely worthless.
So there is the plan. Do SAR and its cash generation can finance better environmental protection, mend leaks, perhaps a reservoir, and hopefully a reduction in consumer prices.
Just ignore the special pleading from the Private Equity vultures which Starmer seems unwilling to do.